Materials handling arrangement



Dec. 28, 1965 w. J. E. SAUERBREY 3,226,090

MATERIALS HANDLING ARRANGEMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 18, 1963WILMER J. E. SAUERBREY //VVE/V7'0f? Dec. 28, 965 w. J. E. SAUERBREY3,226,090

MATERIALS HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed June 18, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.3

Fl G. 4 mm J. 5

Dec. 28, 1965 w. J. E. SAUERBREY 3,226,090

MATERIALS HANDLING ARRANGEMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 18, 1963arr/765 F G. 6 WILMER d. E.

United States Patent 3,226,090 MATERIALS HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Wilmer J.E. Sauerbrey, Towson, Mi, assignor to Aircraft Armaments, Ine.,Cockeysviile, Md., a corporation of Maryland Filed June 18, 1963, Ser.No. 288,699 7 Claims. (Cl. 254-196) This invention relates to amaterials handling arrangement, and more particularly to a hoistarrangement having improved cable guiding means which enable side pullto be exerted on the cable during take-up or let-off of the cable fromthe hoist drum.

In the prior practice of lifting loads through the employment of a cablehoist a substantial problem has existed in the proper laying of thecable on the cable storage drum when side pulling forces are exerted onthe cable, or, in other words, when forces are exerted on the cablewhich have a component extending along the direction of the axis of thecable storage drum. While it has been common practice to employ cabledrums with grooved storage surfaces thereon to aid in seating of thecable, and various guiding arrangements have been employed in an attemptto properly guide the cable into the correct portion of the storagegroove on the drum, such have not been entirely satisfactory for variousreasons, including overcomplexity and unreliability. It is accordinglyan object and feature of the present invention to provide improved cablehoist arrangement incorporating a cable guiding means which enables theexertion of side or axial forces to be exerted on the cable duringtakeup. or let-off of the cable, and which is simple, positive in actionand easily adaptable to various conventional hoist arrangementsemploying grooved cable storage drums.

Still other objects, features and attendant advantages will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the followingdetailed description of one preferred illustrative embodimentconstructed according to the invention taken in conjunction with theaccompanying L drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective view of a hoist arrangementincorporating the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a portion of the cablestorage drum and one cable guide assembly.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view in perspective, partially cut away forclarity, of the cable guide assembly of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a section view of a portion of the cable drum and guidearrangement at the position of one of the groove-riding guide wheels.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are schematic illustrations of one of the cable guidingassemblies illustrating the guiding operation thereof on the cablestorage drum.

Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawing, in theillustrative embodiment a cable hoist 11 is suspended for transversingmovement in a conventional manner as by support wheels 15 riding on oneor more support rails 13. The cable hoist includes a frame 17 on whichis rotatably mounted a cable storage drum 19, a drive motor 21 and aninterconnecting gear train generally indicated at 23. The drive motor 21is preferably of the reverse drive type, although the gear train 23 maybe used for reversal of direction of rotation of the drum 19, ifdesired. Suitable switch controls (not shown) of conventional type maybe provided for the drive motor 21 in order to effect let-off andtake-up rotation of the drum 19.

In this embodiment the cable storage drum 19 has two oppositely inclinedhelical cable guiding storage grooves, 25, 27, a cable 29 being suitablyanchored at its opposite 3,226,990 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 ends adjacentthe outboard ends of the storage grooves 25 and 27, as by passage of thecable through an aperture in each of the respective outboard ends of thegrooves and clamping of the cable within the interior surface of thedrum.

The cable 29 is wound about the respective opposite helical grooves 25and 27 and extends through a load block 31 having suitable guide sheavesfor enabling ease of movement of the cable through the load block, andcarrying a load hook 31a. The cable 29 is also carried about an idlersheave 33 suitably mounted on the frame 17 in order to provideequalization of the load on the two end segments 29a and 29b of thecable.

It is an important feature of the invention that an improved cable guideassembly 35 is provided, there being two of these cable guide assemblies35 of mirror image construction in the preferred illustrative embodimentin order to facilitate let-01f and take-up of the two opposite ends 29a,29b of the cable. In the illustrative embodiment the cable guideassembly 35 takes the form of two ring plates 37 which surround and arespaced from the grooved storage surface of the drum 19. The two ringplates 37 carry groove-riding guide wheels 39 therebetween which guidewheels serve to rotatably suspend the ring plates 37 in spacedcircumferential relation about the cable storage grooves 25 and 27respectively of the drum- 19 and to prevent, in cooperation with thegrooves any undesired canting and loss of guiding registry by the cableguide assembly. Suitable anti-friction radial force bearings 41, such asroller bearings, and thrust bearings 41:: may be mounted in and betweenthe ring plates 37 for free anti-friction mounting of the guide wheels39 and supporting shaft thereof. The guide wheels 39, thrust bearings41a and side spacer 42 also serve as spacers for the ring plates 37,although additional spacers 43, secured as by rivets or bolts betweenthe ring plates, may be provided if desired in order to provideadditional stability.

The ring plates 37 have formed thereon a projection 37a between whichprojections are rotatably mounted two pairs of spaced guide rollers 45,47. The axis of each of the guide rollers 45 is normal to the axis ofthe guide rollers 47, thereby providing for directional guiding actionbetween the rollers 45, 47 and the cable 29 which extends therethroughbetween the cable drum 19 and the load block 31.

There are preferably three spaced apart groove-riding guide wheels 39 inorder to provide a desirable three-point suspension of the cable guideassembly, although it will be apparent that more guide wheels may beemployed if desired. It is necessary that the cable guide assembly beheld against any substantial lateral movement at all points about itscircumferential extent, and to this end it is desirable that the guidewheels engage closely within the respective helical grooves of thestorage drum 19. As will be noted from the drawings, each of the guidewheels is preferably otf-center, as by use of spacers 42, with respectto the central plane of the cable guide assembly by an amount equal toone cable storage groove, thereby enabling the cable to be guided ontoand from the respective groove by the guide rollers 45 and 47 whichpreferably are disposed to provide a laterally centered guideway for thecable. It will also be noted that the guideway provided by thedisposition of the guide rollers is substantially tangential to thecable storage groove surface cable guide assemblies 35 is freelyrotatably suspended about and in the respective storage groove surfaceand is prevented from canting or moving out of registry with therespective helical storage groove by the close riding engagement of theguide wheels 39 in the groove. Thus, lateral side forces may be exertedon the cable either during windup or withdrawal of the cable from thestor age groove, without disturbing the lay of the cable in the groove.Also, as seen from FIGURE 5, the cable guide assemblies 35 tend tofollow the direction of tangential pull of the cable from the drum, byrotating about the drum surface to thereby self-maintain the guiderollers 45 and 47 such that the cable is at all times substantiallytangentially withdrawn from and wound on to the drum 19.

While the invention has been described with respect to a singleillustrative preferred embodiment, it will appear to those skilled inthe art that various improvements and modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope and theory of the invention. Accordingly, it isto be understood that the invention is not to be limited by theconstruction of the illustrative embodiment but only by the scope of theappended claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. A cable hoist arrangement comprising a cable drum having two sets ofoppositely inclined helical cable storage grooves formed on its surface,a drive motor for said drum and having its drive axis parallel to andlaterally spaced to one side of the axis of rotation of said drum, gearmeans disposed at one end of said motor and drum and connecting saidmotor in driving relation to said drum, a cable anchored at its oppositeends to said drum for take-up and storage in said cable grooves, a loadblock suspended and carried by said cable, an idler sheave carriedadjacent said drive motor and drum, said cable being suspended at itscenter section by said idler sheave for equalizing of action on saidcable, two cable guide assemblies each carried solely by said drum in arespective one of said grooves and being free to movably rotate aboutthe axis of said drum, each of said cable guides having a main bodyportion encircling said drum and a plurality of circumferentially spacedgroove-riding rollers mounted on said main body portion and riding inits respective said groove for combined anti-friction support of saidcable guide assembly on said drum and lateral positioning and stabilityof said cable guide assernibly within its said groove, and tangentialand lateral cable engaging and guiding means on said main body portionsubstantially tangentially disposed away from a point of departure andarrival of the cable from and onto said drum for guiding said cable bothtangentially and laterally as it moves onto and from said drum androtationally following movement of said cable guide assemblies aboutsaid drum as a function of tangential direction of cable pull.

2. A cable hoist arrangement comprising a supporting frame, a cable drumcarried by said frame and having a helical cable receiving groove formedthereon, a drive motor for said drum, and a cable guide carried solelyby said drum and being free to movably rotate about the axis of saiddrum, said cable guide having a main body portion encircling said drumand a plurality of circumferentially spaced groove-riding rollersmounted on said main body portion and riding in said groove for combinedanti-friction support of said cable guide on said drum and lateralpositioning and stability of said cable guide within said groove, andtangential and lateral cable engaging and guiding means on said mainbody portion substantially tangentially disposed away from a point ofdeparture and arrival of the cable from and onto said drum for guidingsaid cable both tangentially and laterally as it moves onto and fromsaid drum and rotationally following movement of said cable guideassemblies about said drum as a function of tangential direction ofcable pull.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein said tangential andlateral cable engaging and guiding means comprises two pairs of guiderollers set in paired relation transversely to one another and spacedapart to form a cable opening therebetween, the longitudinal center lineof said cable opening between said guide rollers extending generallytangential to the grooved surface of said drum and to one lateral sideof said groove-riding rollers.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3 wherein said main body portioncomprises two laterally spaced rings encircling said drum, lateralspacers disposed between said rings, means connecting said ringstogether in laterally spaced relation, said groove-riding rollers beingguide wheels disposed in circumferentially spaced relation between saidrings and having their annular groove-riding rim portion closer to oneof said rings than the other by an amount which is a multiple of thewidth of said groove.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4 wherein said guide wheels are atleast three in number and provide a three-point suspension for said ringon said drum.

6. For use with a cable take-up and let-off arrangement having a cabledrum with a helical cable storage groove formed thereon, the improvementcomprising a cable guide adapted to be carried solely by said drum andfree to movably rotate about the axis of said drum, said cable guidehaving a main ring body portion adapted to encircle said drum and aplurality of circumferentially spaced groove-riding rollers mounted onand projecting radially inward from said main ring body portion andadapted to ride in close fitting relation within said groove forcombined anti-friction support of said cable guide on said drum andlateral positioning and stability of said cable guide along said groove,and tangential and lateral cable engaging and guiding means on said mainring body portion substantially tangentially disposed away from a pointof departure and arrival of the cable from and onto said drum forguiding said cable both tangentially and laterally as it moves onto andfrom said drum and rotationally following movement of said cable guideassemblies about said drum as a function of tangential direction ofcable pull.

7. The improvement according to claim 6 wherein said tangential andlateral cable engaging and guiding means comprises two pairs of guiderollers set in paired relation transversely to one another and spacedapart to form a cable opening therebetween, the longitudinal center lineof said cable opening between said guide rollers being generallytangential to the groove surface of said drum and to one lateral side ofsaid groove-riding rollers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 521,480 6/1894Sharp 254-186 1,701,017 2/1929 Shepard 254-186 2,255,314 9/1941 Graham254 2,525,402 10/1950 Dehn 254187 2,534,726 12/1950 Moore 254-4872,868,504 1/1959 Minty 254-186 FOREIGN PATENTS 749,557 5/ 1933 France.800,244 10/ 1950 Germany.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner,

2. A CABLE HOIST ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A SUPPORTING FRAME, A CABLE DRUMCARRIED BY SAID FRAME AND HAVING A HELICAL CABLE RECEIVING GROOVE FORMEDTHEREON, A DRIVE MOTOR FOR SAID DRUM, AND A CABLE GUIDE CARRIED SOLELYBY SAID DRUM AND BEING FREE TO MOVABLE ROTATE ABOUT THE AXIS OF SAIDDRUM, SAID CABLE GUIDE HAVING A MAIN BODY PORTION ENCIRCLING SAID DRUMAND A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED GROOVE-RIDING ROLLERSMOUNTED ON SAID MAIN BODY PORTION AND RIDING IN SAID GROOVE FOR COMBINEDANTI-FRICTION SUPPORT OF SAID CABLE GUIDE ON SAID DRUM AND LATERALPOSITIONING AND STABILITY OF SAID CABLE GUIDE WHEN SAID GROOVE, SANDTANGENTIAL AND LATERAL CABLE ENGAGING AND GUIDING MEANS ON SAID MAINBODY PORTION SUBATNTIALLY TANGENTIALLY DISPOSED AWAY FROM A POINT OFDEPARTURE AND ARRIVAL OF THE CABLE FROM AND ONTO SAID DRUM FOR GUIDINGSAID CABLE BOTH TANGENTIALLY AND LATERALLY AS IT MOVES ONTO AND FORMSAID DRUM AND ROTATIONALLY FOLLOWING MOVEMENT OF SAID CABLE GUIDEASSEMBLIES ABOUT SAID DRUM AS A FUNCTION OF TANGEINTIAL DIRECTION OFCABLE PULL.